Automatic fire-alarm.



' No. 677,954. P'atentd July 9, I901.

H. CORTLAND & J. T. HUME.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM.

\ (Application mad DecxfiO, 1899.) A,

(No Model.) 2 Shaets$heet l.

Ya: mum PETERS o0. mm'rmlmrmlv wlimnaton. mg

Patented July 9, I901.

H. CORTLAND &. J. T. HUME. AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1899.) (No Model.) 2-Sheets-Sheet 2.

cu nmauma. WMINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT h OFFICE.

HARVEY CORTLAND AND JOHN T. HUME, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID HUME ASSIGNOR TO SAID CORTLAND.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,954, dated July 9, 1901.

Application filed December 30, 1899- Serial No. 742,061. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that we, HARVEY CORTLAND and JOHN T. HUME, citizens of the United States, and residents of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvementin Automatic Fire-Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an automatic firealarm, and has for one object to provide a combined controller and annunciator, thereby dispensing with two separate electrical indicator mechanisms.

A further object is to provide for mechanically and simultaneously setting the controller and indicator.

A further object is to mechanically connect the indicator with the controller to insure a positive movement of the indicator.

A further object is to provide .a controller for an automatic fire-alarm system in which the indicator is mechanically moved and so arrangedthat the operation of the system is entirely independent of the failure or nonfailure of such indicator device.

A further object is to provide a controller for an automatic fire-alarm system in which the breaking of a wire will immediately give a trouble-alarm and the controller automatically change the connections in such manner that in the event of a fire a firealarm may be sent in before repairs are made to the wire.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a section taken on lines X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the indicator. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the escapement. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the resetting mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail showing the gear for limiting the rotation of the main shaft.

1 designates the base of the instrument;

2, a stud extending from thebase.

3 is an annular insulating-ring.

i is a standard fixed to the base and which supports the stop-lever 5 and armature 6.

To the annular ring 3' is secured a plurality of brushes 7. On stud 2 is a sleeve 8, loosely journaled thereon, to which is secured 50 the disk 9, having a plurality of insulated contact-plates attached thereto. In disk 9 is a notch 9, engaging with which is a finger 10 for the purpose of moving said disk. The disk 9 is provided with a recess into which projects finger 62.

11 is an electromagnet, a portion thereof being omitted to better disclose the mech* anism in rear thereof.

Loosely journaled upon the stud 2 is the pinion 12, to which is secured the radial arm 13, said arm having an insulating-piece 14 se cured to its outer end, the purpose of this arm being to force brushes 7 outwardly from contact with plates 10 when revolved.

15 designates a segmental gear secured to shaft 16 and adapted to mesh with pinion 12, thereby rotating arm 13. The lower end of main shaft 17 is stepped in the upper end of stud 2 and passes through plates 18 and 19. 'Journaled in plate 19 is a squared windingshaft 20, having attached thereto gear 21, meshing with gear 22, said gear being secured to disk 23, the gear and disk being free to revolve upon the main shaft. Upon the lower face of disk 23 is the stud 24, to which is attached the outer end of the mainspring 25, the inner end being secured to the main shaft. On stud 26, secured to the disk 23, isa planetary gear 27, meshing with the pinion 28, secured upon the main shaft, gear 27 having a portion of its periphery uncut, as at 29, whereby the rotation of the main shaft is limited. Fastened to plate 19 is a pawl 30, adapted to engage with the teeth of gear 21.

Upon the periphery of disk 23 is formed one or more gear-teeth 31, meshing with the pinion 33, loosely mounted upon a stud secured to plate 19, said pinion meshing with a gear 32, secured to shaft 16, the purpose of which is to rotate shaft 16 when disk 23'is rotated in the act of winding the spring, thereby resetting an indicator-pointer 34 and the radial arm 13. Spring is housed between plates 35 and 36. Secured to shaft 17 is an' intermittent gear 37, meshing with the segmental gear 38, secured to shaft 16. Secured upon shaft 17 is a gear 39, meshing with pinion 4:0, loosely mounted upon a stud upon plate 18. Secured to pinion 40 is a gear 41, meshing with a pinion 4C2, loosely mounted upon top of plate 19 is a stud 51, upon which is loosely journaled a sleeve 52, upon which is secured a disk 53, and beneath disk 53 is a pinion 54, frictionally held upon sleeve 52.

Secured to disk 53 is the indicator-pointer 34, 1

adapted to indicate the box from which the signal is being transmitted.

ject of which is to move the indicator-pointer 34by means of pinion 54, sleeve 52, and disk 53. The object of frictionally securing'pinion 54 to sleeve 52 is to allow said pinion to continue its revolution after disk 53 and its attached pointer has been stopped, as will be hereinafterdescribed. Disk 53 is formed with 1 a plurality of peripheral notches 56, adapted to he engaged with lever 57, said lever being held out of engagement by electromagnet 58,

spring 59 forcing said lever into the peripheral notches upon the demagnetization of magnet 58, it being demagnetized when the radial arm 13 forces the brushes out of contact with the plates 10, as will be further described.

series with magnet 11.

termittent gear 37 engages with segmental gear 38, thus partially rotating shaft 16, segmental gears 15 and 55, and by means of finger 1'0' moving disk 9 and its attached contact-plates,tl1ereby changing the wiring, passing finger 62 in rear of lever 5, sending in a trouble-alarm by means of notched breakwheel 60 and insulated brush 61. The mechanis'm is stopped upon one revolution of the main shaft by means of spring forcing le ver 5 into notch 49 in disk 48, thereby bringing the lever into contact with stop-piece 47.

Segmental gears 15 and are now in position to engagepinions 12and 54, respectively, upon the next partial revolution of shaft 16. In the event of a fire occurring (it being understood that the system is wired by a series wire and an annunciator-wire for each floor or room, having thermostats or manual circuit-closing devices connected in multiple therewith) magnet 11 is energized, attracting armature 6 and attached lever 5, withdrawing said lever from notch 49 and engagement To the upper end of shaft 16 is secured a segmental gear 1 55, adapted to mesh with pinion 54, the obwith stop 47, the outward movement of said lever being limited by finger 62, releasing the mechanism by allowing lever 5 to pass between stops 46 and 47. On the further rotation of shaft 17 pinion 37 moves shaft 16 by means of segmental gear 38, gear 15 engages pinion 12, andgear 55 engages pinion 54,thereby moving radial arm 13, disk 53, and pointer 34 in unison. When arm 13 forces the brushes corresponding to the floor or room in which the fire occurs from the contact-plates,

it opens the circuit, thus demagnetizing magnets 11 and 58, thereby releasing lever 57, said lever being forced into engagement with one of the notches 56 in disk 53, thus stopping the further rotation of disk 53 and pointer 34. Shaft 16 continues its rotation until segmental gear 38 passes out of engagement with pinion 37, pinion 5'4 slipping on sleeve 52 and radial arm 13 beingmoved to its stopped position and out of engagement with the brushes, the rotation of shaft 17 be ing continued until stopped by the uncut portion 29 of gear 27 engaging with pinion 28, the fire-alarm being transmitted by means of break-wheel and brushes 61, properly connected, after which the mechanismmay be reset in the act of winding in the manner clearly evident from the foregoing description. Upon the rotation of disk 23 teeth 31 engage with intermediate gear 33, which by means of gear 32 rotates shaft 16, segmental gears 15 38 '55, radial arm 13, disk 53, and pointer 34, and by means of finger 10' returns disk 9 and attached contact-plates to its normal position, withdrawing finger 62 from en-' Y gagement with lever 5, thereby allowing en- The switching mechanism is such that the 1 wiring of a building is normally connected in Should a wire be cut or broken, magnet 11 is dem'agnetize'd. Spring 1 5O forces lever 5, with its attached armature, out of contact with stop 46, releasing the mec-hanism. Upon the rotation of shaft 17 the inergized magnet 11 -to bring lever 5 into engagement with stop 46, thus holding the mech switch-plate having insulated contacts thereon and a peripherical notch therein, fixed brushes engaging said contacts and a finger upon the shaft, adapted to engagesaid notch and thereby move said plate.

3. In an automatic fire-alarm, "a combined controller and indicator, the controller havin g a plurality of brushes, contact-plates normally in contact with the brushes, an arm adapted to revolve in the path of the brushes and means for actuating the said arm to force the brushes 'out'of contact, of ashaft having a plurality of segmental gears and finger mounted thereon, a pointer actuated by one of the said gears, another of the gears In testimony whereof we have subscribed adapted to actuate said arm, a second shaft our names in the presence of two witnesses.

being revolved by the remaining gear and a HARVEY CORTLAND. switch-plate upon the shaft supporting said JOHN '1. HUME. contact plates and having a peripherical Witnesses:

notch adapted to be engaged by said finger, W. O. BARR, J12,

substantially as shown and described. WILLIAM WEBSTER. 

